Sustainability News &Events

On-Campus Events

To be announced

Off-Campus Events

AASHE 2025 Conference & Expo Link
Dates: October 22, 2025 - October 24, 2025
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
The AASHE Conference & Expo is coming to Minneapolis, MN, on October 22-24, 2025! Get ready for three days of inspiration, collaboration, and insights to drive sustainability in higher education and beyond. Join higher-ed sustainability practitioners, faculty, students, and advocates as we explore bold ideas and solutions. Whether you want to expand your knowledge, share best practices, or connect with peers, this is the place to be. See you in Minneapolis!

Sustainability News

Holiday Update (December 2024):
As we reflect on the past year, we are filled with gratitude for the incredible community at Aquinas College. With a dedicated leadership team shaping a bright future, Saints living out our mission daily, and a vibrant campus welcoming community members who come to enjoy its beauty, there’s so much to celebrate. The Center for Sustainability remains steadfast in our commitment to fostering an organization rooted in the Triple Bottom Line Framework and empowering personal life skills that promote ecological and human flourishing. Together, we’re building a sustainable future.

Here are some exciting updates we’re thrilled to share with you:

• Advancing Climate-Sustainable Education: With support from the Economicology Leadership Fund, the School of Education is enhancing sustainability within the Education major. This year’s plans include faculty training, sessions with guest experts, and in-depth exploration of academic resources. This initiative aims to equip future educators with tools to integrate climate-conscious practices into their teaching. Learn more about this innovative project in the latest “Tuesdays with Terry” episode. Link
• Real-Time Weather Data on Campus: Over Thanksgiving, a new Davis Vantage Pro 2 weather station was installed on Albertus Hall, thanks to Jim Rasmussen and Kevin Boyd. Also funded by the Economicology Leadership Fund, this station provides real-time weather data for environmental projects like the River Narrative. Accessible online, the station will enhance classroom learning, engage the public, and contribute to refined local weather models. Learn about the River Narrative Project here.
• Empowering Citizen Scientists: The Aquinas Chemistry Society (ACS) hosted Girl Scouts on November 16th, teaching them how to become “Citizen Scientists.” Through hands-on activities, the scouts did experiments like water quality testing, explored the trees, created action plans and earned journey patches—plus, they left inspired to tackle environmental challenges like Buckthorn in their own communities.
• Creating a Legacy of Environmental Justice: Students in Elizabeth Chamberlain's block class, “Unsung Heroes in Our Backyard: How We Can All Be Social Justice Activists,” dedicated their time to social and environmental justice. They transformed the area near Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel, replacing invasive English ivy with native plants. The new Coldbrook Creek Native Plant Garden, dedicated on November 13th, will stand as a testament to their efforts and the value of experiential learning.
• Celebrating Our Campus Forest: We had an exciting fall focused on our exploring our campus forest and reflecting on the value of nature. Nominated by Coreena Marsiglia, we named the Sugar Maple just west of the Chapel the 2024 "Tree of the Year". The Class of 2028 planted a Shellbark Hickory near Wege Pond as their class tree, bringing us closer to having all Michigan-native species on campus—just six more to go! Because Ryan Wendt's outstanding leadership, our campus came alive with K-12 students discovering the wonders of our trees. Ryan led an impressive 56 tours, welcoming a total of 529 visitors to our campus. Truly inspiring work!
• Commitment to Zero Waste: The college remains committed to the Zero Waste Initiative. It is one of the first sustainability initiatives new students are exposed to, offering an easy and practical gateway into living sustainably that continues to develop well after our students graduate. Our waste diversion rate has increased to 63.2%, up from 62.0% last year, thanks to the collective efforts of our amazing community.

Looking for more? Visit our News:Archives page for older news about the Center for Sustainability.